The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 234: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

me Aha CS » i. THR MYSTRRIES OF THE COURT. 227 carriage, as you may have observed, is waiting at the door-——” | “I beseech, Dr. Ferney,” exclaimed the Marquis, rising from the chair, “that you will not put your- self to any inconvenience on my account. I will leave the phial with you. In a few days I shall be in London agai; and I will do myself the pleasure of calling. Meanwhile you will perhaps examine the contents.” “I will, my lord—I will,” responded the phy- sician, with a nervousness which he could not altogether subdue, but which the Marquis merely took to be the impatience of one who was sorcly preased for time. Lord Eagledean accordingly departed forthwith. “Thank heavens! this tell-tale phial and this fatal fluid have come back again into my hands :” —it was thus that Ferney murmured to himself when he was once more alone: then hastening to his laboratory, he secured the bottle in a cupboard amongst other chemical preparations. The physician having done this, descended to his carriage, and ordered the coachman to drive to House. The mistress of the mausion was at home; and Dr. Nerney was invited to tscend to the drawing-room where she was seated. As he followed the footman thither, he lingered somewhat on the stairs in order to compose his feelings ere once more finding himself in the pre- sence of that woman who for long, long years he had so fondly loved, but whom he knew to bea murderess! He entered the apartment with a look of mingled mournfulness and severity,— mournfulness because he reflected that one whom he had thus cherished as the idol of his soul’s wor- ship, and whose beauty was s0 ificent, was deeply criminal; and severity, because he felt the necessity of exercising as strong a control as pos- sible over his own emotions, in order that Lady BSaxondale might not think he could in any way sympathize with the black deed which he had nevertheless promised to retain inviolably secret. The moment the footman announced his name, her ladyship gave a sudden start—but so slight to outward appearance, as not to be noticed by the lncquey ; and instantaneously recovering her self- possession, she assumed her most affable air—her most look—as she advanced to greet the physician with an affected effusion of warmest friendship. She seized both his hands before he could possibly anticipate that movement on her part, or avoid it.if he had wished; and bending upon him the whole power of her brilliant eyes, she said, “ My dear Dr. Ferney, you know not how rejoiced I am to behold you beneath this roof.” The physician had come prepared to remon- atrate--to argue—to upbraid—to dictate: but all his resolves were melting away beneath the ineffa- ble spell which that woman had the power of wielding over him. And sbe too—eubtle being ‘that she wae—knew full well the mighty force of this influence which she possessed. She had divir-ed at once that he came for no agrecable pur- poss; and whatever it were, she sought to disarm him beforehand of any resentment that might have been provoked, or of. any sense of duty which remorseful or scrupulous feelings might have re-awakened,—in a word, to neutralize at once whatavever aim he might have in view, if hostile to her own interests. Still, therefore, did she bend \ ~~ upon him the full blaze of her magnificent eyes, — throwing into that flood of lustre a degree of ten- derness which from those orbs had never shone upon him before: so that he was dazzled and be- wildered—he felt his head turning as if with intoxi- cation—while the contact of her warm fair hands, which still grasped his own, increased this inebricty of the senses. “Now, my dear friend—my best and most esteemed friend,” said Lady Saxondale, “como and sit by me, and tell me what has procured for me the pleasure of this visit: because I know full well that your time is so devoted to professional and scientific pursuits, it is not a mere compli- mentary call you are making.” Dr. Ferney felt ashamed of himeelf at having yielded, even though it were only for a few mo- ments, to the inebri influences of Lady Saxon- dale’s beauty. He literally writhed bencath the humiliating idea of his weakness:—the sense of that duty which he had to perform, acquired power in his mind ;—again did his look become mourn- fully severe; and rising from the sofa where she had made him sit down, he stood before her— folded his arms across his breast—and said, “Lady, I must forget the past so far asit regards my own heart. Would to God that I could likewise forget all the incidents which, belonging unto that past, have been so deplorably connected with you /’ “ Are you come to upbraid me for what cannot be recalled ?” asked Lady Saxondale in a voice of melancholy re — while inwardly she was frightened at the look and manner of the physician, who seemed as if he had at length escaped from the fascinating influence of her image, or was enabled to exert sufficient moral power to throw that influence off. “Tell me my dear friend—are you come to upbraid me,” she repeated, “for those things which, having been done, cannot be un- done ?” “That is not altogether my object,” replied the physician, as he still stood before her with folded arms. “Oh! how is it, Lady Saxondale,” he cried, with a sudden acoess of excitement, “that you, whom I have loved so long and with so sublime a worship, should have proved mino evil genius? Woman, I feel that my conscience is blackened with crimes on account of you! The world looks upon me as one who leads a pure and stainless lifo —as a man too enthusiastically devuted to tho noble art which he professes to have thought, or leisure, or opportunity for anything beside. The world looks upon my countenance—beholds it pen- sively serene—and imagines that if there be any wrinkles there, they have been traced by closest study and by vigils of research: but little is it deemed how deep a remorse my soul now cher. ishes !” As the physician went on speaking, dire appre- hensions gathered and strengthened in tho mind of Lady Saxondale; and she felt that she must exercise all her arts, all her wiles—and bring into play all her powers of fascination and cajolery, to level that man once more in submissivencss and blind gbedience to her feet. “Dr. Ferney,” sho answered, rendering the ca- dences of her voice as musically mournful and ten- derly melting as sho possibly could, “ know you not that I am already the unhappiest of women, and that it would take but little to make me grasp the —_ ow -—_ —~ ome i rn ee COLL (C DOO CS (GO)